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Dager: Nurturing under 40 workers key to future success

Contrary to conventional wisdom, Millennial workers, those ages 19 to 36, are just as likely to stick with their employers as their older counterparts in Generation X were when they were young adults, according to the Pew Research Center and recently released government data.

And this group of employees is better educated and more likely to hold a college degree than any generation in U.S. history. College-educated Millennials, in fact, have longer track records with their employers than Gen X workers did in 2000 when they were the same age as today’s Millennials.

In the current environment of employee compression, how do we keep this new breed of workers happy, and how do we attract them in the first place? With workforce development being the No. 1 pressing issue facing nearly every company or organization in Licking County, regardless of size, at Velvet Ice Cream, we wrestle with this same issue. Low unemployment, while great for the economy and our region as a whole, can challenge growth by making it tough to find, recruit and retain a quality workforce.

Key to the issue is understanding Millennials. In order to do that, at Velvet Ice Cream, we have focused on creating a culture of multi-generational employees. We work to recruit workers of all generations, ensuring that Millennials, Gen Xers and Baby Boomers work side by side in every area of the company. While workers from such diverse eras may experience some ideological gaps, we try to ensure that we all attempt to understand and even celebrate our differences. In fact, we have even used outside counsel to assist our management team with multi-generational workforces.

Part of that strategy includes encouraging managers get to know our employees on a personal basis in order to better grasp what makes them tick. As a result of those efforts, our company has reaped many rewards – well beyond our primary goal of employee recruitment and retention.

For example, one of our customer service associates, Olivia Toth, is one of our 20 something employees. Her creativity as an administrative support person has made her an invaluable member of our team. However, in getting to know her better, we discovered that she puts that same creativity to work as a chalk board artist and in a side business making stationary. Thus, we tapped those talents to redesign the menu chalkboards in our on-site restaurant at Ye Olde Mill. As a result, we’ve seen a dramatic elevation of our menu design, which our guests have noticed and love. Olivia feels additional validation and we benefit from a wealth of homegrown talent.

In addition to taking time to better know all of the skills our workers possess, we make sure to empower and encourage them to suggest and make process and other improvements. Another of our under-40 team members, Procurement Specialist Whittney Barrett, helped us identify and implement new technology that streamlines our procurement process, making our company more productive and efficient by saving both time and money.

Younger workers Beau Liming, Ryan Bickle and Jordan Link joined our production team, while in many manufacturing companies such positions may be perceived as spots for older workers. Workers like Beau, Ryan and Jordan bring fresh perspective and energy to the department, helping our more senior production team members see the process of making ice cream with fresh eyes.

You can help your company identify hidden talents and skill sets, especially in newer employees and those under age 40, by helping employees get to know one another better. Consider ways your company can use team-building events and exercises such as a company-wide breakfast, a food truck lunch or other activities that let personalities shine and get people really talking to one another. Such efforts bring all generations of workers together and build a culture that’s attractive to the next generation of employees whose energy can move your company forward.

The fourth-generation to run her family’s company, Luconda Dager is president of Utica-based Velvet Ice Cream, a major employer and community partner for Licking County. Dager is a regular contributor to the Business Advocate, writing a monthly column on topics that are important to the area’s business community.